Budget DAC Review: behringer UMC204HD

[Jinjuku]

Look at the Presonus 2|6 for $199

The Behringer is what it is: A well performing $79 DAC / ADC with HP output. It's +3dBu as indicated in their documentation.

It's something I recommend to people on a budget that would like to get something with good SQ for the price. Bottom line is I've seen people spend almost $700 on a PSU and Reconditioner with a $400 DAC to drive $3000 speakers when they could have gotten $4000 speakers and the Behringer and been ahead in the SQ department.

 

[Jinjuku]

I thought here, maybe it was in another thread, I mentioned the output was somewhere they cut corners. That it was 0 dbU. Now being fake balanced is an even bigger corner cut. I guess no worse than so many single ended DACs for several hundred dollars. Still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Would spending $300 more on an Audiophile DAC help with the taste?

 

[Blumlein 88]

Would spending $300 more on an Audiophile DAC help with the taste?

No, but spending a little more on another ADC/DAC interface would. Like the Presonus you pictured above.

 

[Old Listener]

Thanks Jinjuku for the Presonus suggestion.

I had a couple of practical questions about using the Behringer 204HD/404HD with a Linux based PC and about using the DAC with a Windows 10 PC without the Behringer supplied driver and control panel s/w. These links gave me adequate answers:

https://forum.music-group.com/showthread.php?10956-Behringer-and-Linux

https://linuxmusicians.com/viewtopic.php?t=17231

What I learned:

- While Behringer doesn't officially support Linux, people are using it there successfully. The Behringer interface is immediately recognized as both input and output devices.

- The Behringer is USB audio class 2 compliant. It should be recognized by our Win 10 PCs which have the UAC 2 support now. I'd prefer to use it without the Behringer supplied driver or their control panel s/w via WASAPI.


I'd have the same set of questions about Focusrite or Presonus gear.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Thanks Jinjuku for the Presonus suggestion.

I had a couple of practical questions about using the Behringer 204HD/404HD with a Linux based PC and about using the DAC with a Windows 10 PC without the Behringer supplied driver and control panel s/w. These links gave me adequate answers:

https://forum.music-group.com/showthread.php?10956-Behringer-and-Linux

https://linuxmusicians.com/viewtopic.php?t=17231

What I learned:

- While Behringer doesn't officially support Linux, people are using it there successfully. The Behringer interface is immediately recognized as both input and output devices.

- The Behringer is USB audio class 2 compliant. It should be recognized by our Win 10 PCs which have the UAC 2 support now. I'd prefer to use it without the Behringer supplied driver or their control panel s/w via WASAPI.


I'd have the same set of questions about Focusrite or Presonus gear.

I have a Focusrite Forte and 18i20 Scarlett. Both are best if used with the ASIO interface. My Forte is picked up in linux and plays back fine. Volume knob works. Does not work at all for recording. The 18i20 is pretty much non-functional. If you mess with JACK it can do some things, but mostly isn't usable. Some of the other Scarlett series people report working if you jump thru hoops. I would like to know of some good interfaces that just work with Linux. I keep a Windows laptop just for my Focusrite units. I would get rid of Windows completely if I could.

 

[Sal1950]

I keep a Windows laptop just for my Focusrite units. I would get rid of Windows completely if I could.

We all keep our dirty little secrets.

 

[Blumlein 88]

We all keep our dirty little secrets.

Come on Sal. Find me a recording interface that plays nice with linux (and doesn't cost a fortune).

 

[Name]

I happened upon this forum thread after just having purchased an IDAC2..... Did I just buy a piece of shit?

 

[RayDunzl]

I happened upon this forum thread after just having purchased an IDAC2..... Did I just buy a piece of shit?

amir says "As noted, this is a well designed DAC with full isolation from the PC"

Do a search for IDAC2 and what I saw didn't bash it.

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1.......0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.nXCiNChItFc

 

[amirm]

I happened upon this forum thread after just having purchased an IDAC2..... Did I just buy a piece of shit?

As Ray said, no. That is a good dac and my test reference. Welcome to the forum by the way.

 

[Jinjuku]

I happened upon this forum thread after just having purchased an IDAC2..... Did I just buy a piece of shit?

No, it's a solid DAC.

 

[Name]

Good to know. I'm not very knowledgeable about all this stuff. I'm am engineer by trade but not electrical.... I mostly just listen to music and watch movies via Denon D2000 headphones and Phillips SHP9500s. I use headphones more because I have a large family and usually can't disturb others.

I never bought into the idea that a dac would really give me that great of an improvement over onboard audio but for various reasons I decided I wanted to go ahead and try out a decent dac to find out. I tried doing good research, but with the little I know that can be a challenge...

 

[amirm]

I never bought into the idea that a dac would really give me that great of an improvement over onboard audio but for various reasons I decided I wanted to go ahead and try out a decent dac to find out. I tried doing good research, but with the little I know that can be a challenge...

No worries. That is the purpose of this forum!

Internal DACs in computers have improved a lot but outboard DACs still outperform them. I should test them again to see how they compare objectively.

 

[Blumlein 88]

No worries. That is the purpose of this forum!

Internal DACs in computers have improved a lot but outboard DACs still outperform them. I should test them again to see how they compare objectively.

Yeah, that is a good idea.

I suggest some of the Asus Xonar or Essence sound cards, and maybe some on the motherboard sources.

I did have a now 5 year old Lenovo sound card in those files I once posted of several different DACs. From results of the poll, most couldn't readily hear the difference even though its measurements are very modest. Then again I had the output of my Nexus 6P phone which had rather poor measurements in that group too.

 

[Name]

Though I may not be able to explain the differences I hear with the correct terminology, if there were an audible difference, I believe I would notice it, if I were to critically listen.

I recently bought a new cheap headphone that is surprisingly great sounding and I was messing around with my sound settings and I don't know why, but I had not been running the hdmi out from my video card to my receiver and then from there to my headphones for my audio. I ended up doing so, and compared that to my line out from the on board audio. I went back and forth several times and the difference was HUGE.... I was playing a flac file of Radiohead - The Tourist (Remastered) and the vocals were drastically different. I don't know how to explain it, but I could not mistake the difference.

Will the IFI dac do the same thing I am wondering? I am hoping so because the headphone amplifier from my receiver sucks and I have a couple really good amps I'd like to use...

 

[Name]

My motherboard is the MSI z97 gaming 5 with Realtek ALC1150

 

[Sal1950]

I went back and forth several times and the difference was HUGE.... I was playing a flac file of Radiohead - The Tourist (Remastered) and the vocals were drastically different. I don't know how to explain it, but I could not mistake the difference.

Do remember that if the levels aren't matched within a fraction of a db all bets are off as to what you heard when going back and forth.. That said there is the fact that in most cases the analog section of the headphone amps , their matching impedance's, etc, will make for a much larger audible difference than the DAC sections themselfs. In any case I would think you will be very pleased with the sound of IFI headphone sound. Computer sound cards SQ can be iffy depending on how electrically noisy the inside of your computer is.

 

[Name]

I'm wondering if I should just return the IFI DAC (if I can... It's a demo unit) and just get the Behringer. I don't need DSD.

 

[Name]

What do y'all think? I will probably never play DSD files. If the Behringer is better at everything except not being able to playback DSD and it is a lot cheaper, then shouldn't I return the IFI and get the Behringer? Any other benefits to the IFI?

 

[RayDunzl]

What do y'all think?

What's wrong with the iFi?

Got cables for the Behringer?